An artificial stomach-duodenum model for the in-vitro evaluation of antacids.

To improve the dynamic in-vitro evaluation of the effects of antacids, we have developed the 'artificial stomach' model by adding a 'duodenal reservoir' to receive the gastric emptying flux and simulated bicarbonate secretion, thus constituting an 'artificial stomach-duodenum' model. With this model we measured antacid-induced resistance to gastric acidification, and simultaneously evaluated the effect of antacid activity on the duodenal milieu. The model also permitted evaluation of the antacid effects of proteins (as natural antacids), and of drugs containing aluminium phosphate, alone or combined with magnesium oxide, or aluminium and magnesium hydroxides. At the gastric site, these drugs, as well as the proteins (that is, meat extract), induced a strong resistance to acidification due to the gastric emptying flux and to antacid composition. At the duodenal site, the decrease of the acid load penetrating into the duodenum varied, depending on the efficacy of gastric antacid activity. Duodenal pH was related to the equilibrium between bicarbonate secretion and the emptying of acid load. Proteins and aluminium phosphate induced the same duodenal pH as in the control tests without antacids, but magnesium-containing antacids increased it, thus decreasing bicarbonate consumption. The antacid mechanisms within the stomach, and the fate of antacids in the duodenal milieu, might explain the variation in duodenal pH in response to antacid administration.

[In vitro evaluation of antacid activity in gastric acid secretion in static and dynamic systems]. / Evaluation in vitro de l'activité antiacide dans les conditions de la sécrétion acide gastrique en systèmes statique et dynamique.

A valid in vitro evaluation of antacid capacity should consider: 1) the intragastric pH-range; 2) the antacid mechanism; 3) the dependence of antacid activity from intraluminal flux variations; 4) the interaction between proteins and antacids. Pharmacologically, a static method allows 1) to quantify H+ binding sites at different pH-end points of the titration: pH 3.0, 2.0 and 1.0 and 2) to characterize the antacid mechanism, neutralizing activity and/or buffering capacity. In dynamic conditions, using the "artificial stomach-duodenum" model the antacid-induced resistance to acidification was measured, the antacid mechanisms were characterized in regard to intraluminal gastroduodenal flux variations and the incidence of antacid activity on duodenal pH was evaluated. These procedures were applied to antacid evaluation of proteins, as natural antacids, and of drugs containing aluminium salts alone or combined with magnesium salts. Pharmacologically, antacid drugs exhibited a greater amount of H+ binding sites when titration end-point was pH 1.0 than pH 3.0 corresponding to the development of neutralizing activity and/or buffering capacity. In dynamic conditions, the drugs, like proteins, induced a potent resistance to acidification related to gastric emptying fluxes. Antacid effect was supported by neutralizing activity and/or by buffering capacity. It was prolonged by removal of H+ ions since lagtimes for recovering initial pH were longer than antacid total emptying, the dilution of intragastric content by H+ impoverished secretory flux contributing thus to prevent gastric acidification. At duodenal site, proteins and aluminium-containing antacids induced the same duodenal pH as controls, without antacids, while magnesium-containing antacids increased it.